Sexual Tension: Volatile

As erotic films go, it helps when the actors and actresses are smoldering hot and any real acting takes a backseat. In "Sexual Tension: Volatile," that is certainly the case with the six short vignettes offered. But with the exception of two of the tales, there is hardly the sexual tension or volatility implied in the title.

The male physique is definitely on display here. In the first story "Ari," a hot tattoo artist shows his new young client the tattooed artwork on his chiseled nude body. This mildly intriguing short story doesn’t explore the two men’s attraction enough and the perfunctory ending leaves the viewer hanging.

"The Cousin" shows the most promise of the six stories, as a young man has an unnatural sexual attraction to his cousin, whom he meets for the first time. Their innocent flirting offers up "Sexual Tension’s" real and only romantic story.

In "The Other One," a badly acted and above all, infantile look at male bonding, two men boast about their supposed recent sexual conquests of women. Obviously gay, the two studs demonstrate on each other how they made love and end up in the sack together at the end. Yawn.

The most pointless of them all is "Broken Arms," a pornographic look at a man whose helplessness leads him to get a sponge bath by his male nurse. As much as it appears the two are really getting it on, the viewer will be distracted by the female of the story. Why is she seen and who is she? This is never explained.

"Honey" starts off promisingly enough, where the two male leads of the story, one an innkeeper and the other a married man, have sexual chemistry only hinted at in previous vignettes. Then this tawdry tale is ruined when the wife hilariously tells the innkeeper to check in on her husband as he takes a shower. This leads to the all too brief shower scene featuring only bare male chests.

The confusing "Workout" features a trainer and his studly workout partner. Again, the two are supposedly straight and decide to photo themselves together and sexting ensues to their respective girlfriends. This far-fetched story ends again with the two male leads doing the nasty together, but seen off-screen.

"Sexual Tension: Volatile" is presented in Spanish with English subtitles. Its only special feature is trailers for other TLA Releasing films.

Ken Tasho is a Corporate Drone by day and Edge Contributor by night. He has a love for all things ’80’s and resides in the Wayland Square area of Providence, RI...but would much rather be sharing an apartment in NYC with ’80’s rock goddesses Pat Benatar and Deborah Harry.